Tucson, 2017

Presidents weekend saw me back in Tucson for another visit, and while the weather didn't quite cooperate (50* and rain for two days), it was still a great get-away.

Day One:  Tucson Art Museum, lunch at the Cafe ala C'Art by the art museum, then U of AZ Mirror Lab.

Tucson Art Museum with a guided tour (free) is worth it.  Tour was an hour, we bumped around for about 45 min on our own, and called it good.   We didn't see everything - missed maybe two floors?  Something for another trip, plus they rotate exhibits so definitely an option.   Highly recommend the cafe/bistro that's attached.  Very good.



U of AZ Mirror Lab.  GEEK OUT MOMENT!  I got to see the mirrors that are being installed in the Giant Magellan telescope!!  COOOL!  Yes.  Yes, that was way cool.   Good presentation.

One lens in the foreground, one in the background

Day Two: Biosphere 2
This complex is HUGE.  Was privately built and owned for that two year isolation study back in the early nineties, was sold to U of Connecticut (I think?), then the U of AZ took it over in 2007.  They are now running various earth-based landscape experiments in there and turning the "ocean" into the Sea of Cortex.   Yes, they have a small "ocean" in there along with a rain forest, coastal desert, mangrove swamp and one other biome.  Definitely worth a tour.  

My one observation is, I was hoping for more on the early 90's experiments, and they only briefly touched on those.  Their main focus was on what they are currently doing, which I suppose makes sense.  So I may have to do some reading on the 90's stuff.

Day Three: Tombstone and Boothill Graveyard.
Cheesy fun.  In hindsight, I should have asked a few questions about activities, then switched things around - we arrived, we wandered, we ate, we watched the reenactment then went in quest of stuff we found out about so basically more wandering (in the rain).   Would have been better to go straight to reenactment, then eat, and find the stuff/wander at the same time. 

The Earps and Doc Holiday

Boothill Graveyard and the Dragoon Mtns in the background

Day Four:  Saguaro National Park.
Took a walk in the desert and had a picnic lunch.  Supper was at El Charro's in downtown Tucson.  Highly recommend. 

Rincon Mtns in the background